Self cleaning spray nozzle



Sept. 6,1938. R. LINCOLN 2,129,145

SELF CLEANING SPRAY NOZZLE Filed May 6 1956 Patented Sept. 6, 1938PATENT OFFIQE SELF CLEANING SPRAY NOZZLE.

Roland L. Lincoln, Waterbury, Conn, assignor to Hofiman SpecialtyCompany, Waterbury,

Conn, a corporation of Illinois Application May 6, 1936, Serial No.78,156

11 Claims.

This invention relates to nozzles for creating a mist or a more or lessfinely divided spray of water or other liquid delivered under pressure,for use particularly in washing or humidifying air, atmospheric cooling,and in systems of various kinds by which the conditioning of air iseffected; and also for any other purposes to which it may be adapted inits various forms. Its object is to furnish a nozzle of improvedcharacteristics capable of producing a more uniform and bettercontrolled spray than previously known nozzles and of automaticallymaintaining the quality of the spray by prevention of clogging. Theprinciples of the invention by which these objects are accomplishedcomprise new and improved means for the production of spray, means forregulating the fineness of the particles constituting the spray or mist,and means for flushing the discharge orifice of the nozzle when thewater is turned on and 01T.

In the following explanation and description of the invention it will beassumed that the liquid which is converted into mist or spray by meansof this nozzle is water, for that is the agent employed in theconditioning of air; but other liquids may be used with embodiments ofthe invention for other purposes. Hence the references to water, andother specific terms of description used in the specification are to beunderstood as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of protectionherein claimed.

The drawing and following detailed explanation show two of the possibleconcrete forms in which the principles of the invention may be embodied.Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of one of such forms;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the same nozzle shown on a smallerscale than that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 a partial plan view ofanother embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a form of the invention inwhich are combined certain features of the two forms previouslymentioned. Like reference characters designate the same parts whereverthey occur in all the figures.

The nozzle shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises J a casing body H havingan external threaded, tubular stem or nipple l2 for connecttion with apipe line. The body has a (preferably) cylindrical interior l3 which isopen throughoutits full width at one end, and a detachable cover I4 isprovided g to close such open end when applied thereover' and secured bybolts l5 passing through a flange [6 on the body. A discharge tube llextends through the center of the cover, in which it has a sliding fitpermitting it to move endwise. The U inner end of this tube is sealedfluid tight to one end of a bellows tube 18, the opposite end of whichis sealed fluid tight to a plate 19 which is clamped between the casingbody and cover plate and makes a leakage tight joint with the body withthe aid of a compressible gasket 29. The bellows tube is preferably orconveniently one of well known character, made from a section of deeplycorrugated metal tubing, the wall thick ness and characteristics ofwhich are such that the corrugations are flexible, permitting thebellows as a whole to be shortened and lengthened by forces of themagnitude encountered in use.

On the outer side of the cover plate is a rigid yoke 2|, of which thestandards are at opposite sides of the protruding end of the dischargetube, and the transverse member extends across the end of the tube andsupports an abutment block 22 in axial alinement with the tube. Suchabutment block is loosely mounted in the yoke in such fashion that itsplane face 23 next to the tube end may adjust itself so as to bearsquarely on the beveled or knife-edge rim 24 surrounding the outerorifice of thetube. As a convenient means for that purpose, the block ismade with a stem 25 which passes through a hole in the cross beam of theyoke and is supported by a collar 26 and cotter pin 21 substantially asshown in the drawing. The block is also formed with a beveled taperedexternal surface 28 adjacent to the stem, and the yoke with a convexseat 29 near enough to such beveled zone to prevent any substantialdisplacement of the abutment block away from the discharge tube, butarranged to permit such angular movement of the block as may benecessary to permit self adjustment of the latter to the outer rim ofthe tube.

In the rim of the tube is a notch or port 30, or there may be two suchnotches directly opposite to one another, as shown in Fig. 2, or agreater number, suitably located in lines directed between thesupporting members of the yoke. When the discharge tube is advanced intocontact at its end with the abutment block, such notch or notchesprovide the only channels through which water may escape; and wateradmitted under pressure to the nozzle body flows through such channelsin streams of which the sectional dimensions are determined by thedimensions of the notches. By suitable design of the notches streams ofany desired fineness or coarseness may be produced.

A target 3| is located across the path in which each such stream fiows.In the arrangement shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the targets have planeimpingement faces 32 perpendicular to the water streams and aresupported by brackets 33 which are adjustably connected with the coverl4 so that the targets may be set at various distances from the outletports. The small streams of water flowing at high velocity from theports 3 impinge on the targets and are broken by impact into a mistyspray. By moving the targets toward or away from the discharge orifices,the quality of the spray can be varied from a fine mist to one composedof larger particles of Water. Such targets are needed only for uses inwhich a fine spray or mist is needed. They can be omitted or removedwhen the nozzle is used for many pur poses, such as discharging sprayinto heated air or spraying hot water into cool air in order to cool thewater. Jets discharged under sufliciently heavy pressure from small ornarrow orifices normally separate into discrete particles aftertraveling a greater or less distance, even when not caused to impinge onanything.

A serious trouble encountered in existing spray nozzles, especiallythose in which the production of a fine spray necessitates employing adischarge orifice of very small dimensions, is clogging of the orificeby solid matter, such as scale or dirt carried by the water or salts insolution which gradually are precipitated on the sides of the orifice.Such troubles are substantially eliminated in my nozzle by theprovisions for automatically flushing it, which I have already describedin part and will now explain further.

The manner in which the discharge tube ll is mounted permits it to bemoved up to and away from the abutment block 22. It is acted on by aspring 34, confined between the cover and an external shoulder 35 on thetube, with tendency to withdraw it from the abutment. The equilibrium offorces between the pressure of the spring, and the resilience of thebellows, normally holds the discharge tube withdrawn a short distancefrom the abutment block when there is no water pressure in the casing;substantially as shown in Fig. 1.

The portion 35 of the discharge tube, adjacent to the end joined to thebellows, is enlarged to make an interior space wider than the borethrough the balance of the tube, and in this enlarged space are baiileplates 3i, 38, separated by spacing rings and having staggered openings39 and 46 respectively. The number of bafiie plates and the areas oftheir openings are designed to exert such resistance to fiow of waterwhen first admitted to the nozzle as to cause a quick displacement ofthe tube toward the abutment but to permit discharge of a small quantityof water before the tube makes contact with the abutment. The amount ofwater thus permitted to escape is enough to flush the contact surface ofthe abutment and the knife edge surrounding the tube orifice, wherebyany sediment which may have lodged on either of these parts is washedaway, and the knife edge is enabled to seat squarely on the abutment.

Thus when water under pressure is admitted to the nozzle after havingbeen excluded, the discharge tube is quickly forced against theabutment, but not until after the fiushing escape of a small amount ofwater has occurred, and thereafter the only escape possible for thewater is through the notches or ports 30. The total area of such portsis so small in proportion to that of the passageway through the tube andbafiies that substantially the full available pressure of the watersupply is exerted at the ports without appreciable impedance due to thebafiles; and a force substantially equal to the transverse area of thebellows multiplied by the unit pressure of the water is exerted to holdthe rim of the discharge tube tightly against the abutment. The smallstreams issuing at high velocity from the ports strike the targets andare thereby broken up into a mist, the fineness of which may beregulated by adjustment of the targets toward or away from the dischargetube, as previously described. When the water supply to the nozzle isshut off, the pressure within the casing soon subsides enough to permitwithdrawal of the tube by the spring 36; and the water then displaced bythe expansion of the bellows flows across the edge of the tube and thesurface of the abutment, causing another flushing action.

The phase of this invention which resides in the automatic flushing ofthe nozzle is useful in many situations and environments, not only thosehereinbefore named or suggested, but others as well, and independent ofthe presence or absence of targets in the paths of the emitted jets.

Numerous variations from the particulars of the nozzle herein describedmay be made without departure from the invention; some of which areillustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. Thus a diaphragm, as til, may be providedto perform the functions of the bellows H8. The outer circumference ofthe diaphragm is clamped between plates Ha and Ma which correspond withthe body and cover respectively of the form first described, and themember Ila is recessed to provide a pressure chamber 44, and has atubular nipple l2a, like the nipple l2 of Fig. 1, for connection with asupply pipe. A discharge tube Ila, equivalent to the tube l1, passesthrough a central opening in the diaphragm and is connected thereto by acoupling sleeve 46 having a flange 4'! and a clamp nut 48 between whichthe inner circumference of the diaphragm is gripped. The base of thenozzle tube is screwed into an internal flange of the coupling sleeve. Aspring 340, is confined between the last named flange and the centralpart of the plate Ma.

Discharge orifices or ports equivalent to the notches 30 may be formedin the abutment member rather than in the extremity of the dischargetube. Such a variation is shown in Fig. 4, where an abutment block 22a,equivalent to the block 22, is formed with a central chamber or recess49 in its bottom and with radial ports 30a leading therefrom. Block 220.is coupled with a yoke 2 la, rising from the central part of plate Ma,by a cotter pin 27a which passes through holes in separated parts of theyoke and through a vertical slot in an intermediate stem on the block.The chamber 49 is in line with the passageway through the tube Ha, andthe rim of the block surrounding the chamber is tapered to a relativelynarrow annular area, and may be brought to a knife edge like the edge 24of Fig. 1, if desired. Otherwise the block 22a is formed substantiallylike the block 22 and its loose coupling with the yoke enables it to bebrought into even bearing on the end of the tube and into centralizedreactive bearing with the edges of the hole in the yoke through whichits stem protrudes. In this case the end of the tube is formed with anannular surface sufficiently wide to insure con- 75 their impingementfaces 32a are conical.

tinuous bearing with the beveled edge of the abutment block.

Or if desired, the ports may be formed partly in the end of the tube andpartly in the abutment, arranged to register when the tube is broughtagainst the abutment; although exact registry is not essential. Fig. 6shows such an arrangement where a tube I'll), (like the tube l'la exceptthat its end is brought to a sharp edge 24 and is provided with a port30 as in Fig. 1),

cooperates with an abutment block 221) like block 22a except that itsrim is not beveled and that it contains one or more ports 30a. Registrybetween the ports 30 and 30a where required is maintained by the cotterpin 2? which prevents rotation of the abutment block and by theconnection of the tube with the casing through the diaphragm 4| or itsequivalent, which prevents any rotation of the tube.

Another variation shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is in the disposition of thetargets, illustrating that the impingement surfaces of the targets maybe otherwise located than at right angles to the streams of water. Inthis instance the targets 3 la are fixed nonadjustably to the plate Maand Such surfaces may also be arranged in other relationships to theimpinging streams.

Fig. 4 also shows how, by providing a diaphragm or its equivalent ofsuificiently large area in proportion to the bore of the discharge tube,a sufficiently rapid closing of the tube against the abutment when thewater supply is turned on may be obtained without the aid of bailles.

It will be apparent that the mode of operation of the nozzleconstruction last described is essentially the same as that of the onefirst described. Normally when water under pressure is excluded from thenozzle, the discharge tube is withdrawn from the abutment by theretracting spring. When water is turned on, the pressure exerted on thediaphragm quickly presses the tube against the abutment, but not untilafter a flushing discharge of water has occurred across all parts of thecontact faces of these members; streams of water flow at high velocitythrough the ports 30a after such faces have been brought together, andimpinge on the targets; and when the supply is shut off the spring 34awithdraws the discharge tube and causes another flushing flow of thewater then displaced from the pressure chamber 44.

Such variations as a diaphragm instead of the bellows, emission ports inthe tube or in the abutment, or partly in both, and impingement surfacesperpendicular or variously inclined to the direction of the emittedstreams, may be combined with one another in various arrangements otherthan the specific arrangements here illustrated,

" all within the scope of the protection herein claimed. For convenienceof descriptive definition, the bellows may be considered as a specialform of diaphragm, and the term diaphragm as used in the claims is to beconstrued generically as including comprehensively the bellows speciesas well as the substantially fiat species shown in Fig. 4, and otherequivalent species except where the context requires otherwise. The termdiaphragm as so understood embraces all flexible members which aresecured at one boundary to a fixed structure and at the oppositeboundary to a movable member and prevent passage of fluid under pressurewhile permitting or causing displacement of such movable member underthe influence of fluid pressure.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spray nozzle comprising a casinghaving an inlet, a discharge tubehaving a passage adapted to conduct liquid admitted to the casing, 'adiaphragm connected to the casing and discharge tube in such manner asto prevent escape of fluid from the casing except through the tube andto permit displacement of the tube under the pressure of such admittedfluid, an abutment located across the end of the tube in position toclose the latter when displaced by fluid pressure, there being a portbetween such abutment member and the rim of the tube when in contactwith one another through which liquid can escape, a target arranged tobe impinged upon by such escaping liquid, and means for automaticallyeffecting a separation between the tube and abutment when fluid pressureis excluded from the casing;

2. A spray nozzle comprising a casing having an inlet, a tube protrudingfrom said casing adapted to conduct liquid therefrom, an abutmentsupported by the casing across the end of the tube, the tube beingmovable endwise into and out of contact at its outer end with theabutment, there being between the tube and abutment an emission port towhich the outflow of liquid is restricted when the tube and abutment arein contact with one another, a target in the path of the liquid streamemitted from such port, and cooperating resilient means for causingadvance of the tube toward the abutment when fluid pressure is exertedwithin the casing and for separating the tube from the abutment whensuch pressure does not exist.

3. A spray nozzle comprising as the emissio portion thereof a tube andan abutment supported across the end of the tube, there being arestricted opening between the abutting faces of the' tube and abutmentthrough which discharge'of liquid is permitted, and :a target in thepath of" the stream emitted from such opening, the tube and abutmentbeing mounted with provision for separation one from the other forcleaning, combined with automatic means fo'riefiecting such separationwhen flow of the liquid to the nozzle is shut off, and causing relativeapproach of one to the other when liquid under pressure is supplied tothe nozzle.

4. A spray nozzle comprising a recessed body having a liquid inlet and aseparable cover over the interior recess of the body, a flexiblediaphragm member in fluid tight connection between the body and cover, atube in fluid tight connection with the diaphragm protruding and beingmovable endwise through the cover, the tube being displaceable outwardby fluid pressure within the casing acting on the inner end of the tubeand the diaphragm, an abutment supported by the cover in line with theouter end of the tube and in position to receive pressure contact ofsuch tube end when the tube is thus advanced, the tube having a notch inits rim for restricted emission of liquid when such rim is pressedagainst the abutment, and a target in the path of liquid flowing fromthe notch.

5. A spray nozzle comprising a recessed body having a liquid inlet and aseparable cover over the interior recess of the body, a flexiblediaphragm member in fluid tight connection between the body and cover, atube in fluid tight connection with the diaphragm protruding and beingmovable endwise through the cover, the tube being displaceable outwardby fluid pressure within the casing acting on the inner end of the tubeand the diaphragm, an abutment supported by the cover in line with theouter end of the tube and in position to receive pressure contact ofsuch tube end when the tube is thus. advanced, the abutment having anotch in its face against which the tube thus abuts, through whichliquid may flow in a stream when the tube is thus closed against theabutment, and a target in the path of such stream.

6. A spray nozzle including a casing having an inlet, a tube protrudingfrom the casing adapted to conduct liquid from the casing, a flexiblediaphragm member in fluid tight connection with the casing and tubearranged to prevent discharge from the casing except through the tube,bafile means in the tube arranged to impede flow through the tube and tobuild up a pressure causing outward movement of the tube when liquidunder pressure is admitted to the casing, an abutment arranged toobstruct the tube when so moved outward, there being an emission outletbetween the tube and abutment, and a target in the path of the liquidstream issuing under pressure from such outlet.

7. A spray nozzle comprising a casing having an inlet, a tube protrudingfrom the casing adapted to conduct liquid from the casing and having anenlarged inner end, a bellows surrounding the tube in fluid tightconnection at one end with the enlarged end of the tube and at its otherend with the casing, bafiles in the enlarged part of the tube arrangedto impede flow through the tube and to build up a pressure causingoutward movement of the tube when liquid under pressure is admitted tothe casing, an abutment arranged to obstruct the tube when so movedoutward, there being an emission outlet between the tube and abutment.

8. A spray nozzle comprising a casing having an inlet for liquid, a tubeopening from, and being movable endwise relatively to the casing, anabutment located across the end of the tube, there being a restrictedopening between the abutting faces of the tube and abutment throughwhich discharge of liquid is permitted, and means whereby the pressureof liquid admitted to the casing causes the tube to move endwise intobearing engagement with the abutment.

9. A spray nozzle comprising a casing having an inlet, an emission tubeleading from the casing and being mounted with provision for endwisemovement, a liquid tight seal between the tube and casing preventingemission of liquid otherwise than through the tube and being yieldableto permit outward movement of the tube under the pressure of liquidentering the casing, and an abutment mounted across the end of the tubein position to be forcibly engaged by the latter when so moved by fluidpressure, there being an outlet of restricted area between the abuttingportions of the tube and the abutment.

10. A spray nozzle comprising a casing having an inlet for liquid, anemission tube leading from said casing and being movable endwiserelatively thereto, means connected with and reacting between the tubeand casing for causing the tube to be advanced when liquid underpressure is admitted to the casing and for retracing the tube when suchpressure subsides, an abutment for engagement with the end of the tube,and rigid supporting means for the abutment holding the latter withprovision for self-adjustment into squarely abutting contact with therim of the tube, there being a restricted opening between the contactportions of the tube and abutment through which discharge of liquid ispermitted.

11. A spray nozzle comprising a recessed body having a liquid inlet anda separable cover over its recess, a flexible diaphragm member in fluidtight connection between the body and cover, a tube in fluid tightconnection with the diaphragm protruding, and being movable endwise,through the cover, the tube being displaceable outward by fluid pressurewithin the casing acting on the inner end of the tube and the diaphragm,and an abutment supported by the cover in line with the outer end of thetube and in position to receive pressure contact of such tube end whenthe tube is thus advanced, one of the members constituted by the tubeand the abutment having a notch in its portion next to the other memberthrough which liquid may flow when the tube is thus closed against theabutment.

ROLAND L. LINCOLN.

